Cricket CorrespondentPublished13 May 2026, 12:00 BSTUpdated 8 minutes agoEngland have ended Ollie Robinson's two-year international exile and called up uncapped trio Emilio Gay, James Rew and Sonny Baker for the first Test since the dismal Ashes campaign.
Sussex seamer Robinson, 32, returns after being dropped in 2024 as England look for an attack leader to take on New Zealand at Lord's from 4 June.
As expected, opener Zak Crawley pays the price for his disappointing tour of Australia - which ended in a 4-1 England defeat - and is left out for the first time since captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took charge of the Test team in 2022.
Crawley's place in the XI is likely to go to Durham 26-year-old Gay, who has the advantage over fellow left-hander Rew, 22, by virtue of being a specialist opener.
Shoaib Bashir is named in the squad despite being ignored for the entire Ashes series and will vie for the spinner's spot with Rehan Ahmed. Leg-spinner Ahmed could play in a home Test for the first time.
England have also confirmed the appointment of Australian Marcus North as the new national selector. The Durham director of cricket replaces Luke Wright, who stepped down for personal reasons after the Ashes, and becomes the first foreigner to chair England's selection panel.
The greatest intrigue from North's first squad is provided by the recall of Robinson in a pace-bowling department in need of rebuilding after the retirements of Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Chris Woakes in successive years.
Robinson has a hugely impressive Test record, with 76 wickets at an average below 23 from his 20 matches. He was long seen as the new-ball heir to Anderson and Broad.
But he fell out of favour and was dropped following the tour of India more than two years ago. England grew frustrated with, among other issues, problems around fitness – Robinson suffered back injuries in each of his past two Tests: against Australia at Headingley in 2023 and against India in Ranchi in 2024.
England squad for first Test against New Zealand: Ben Stokes, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.
He was contacted by England management at the beginning of the season and has been given the responsibility of captaining Sussex. Robinson has led his county to three wins from five matches, taking 17 wickets and scoring an impressive century against Surrey on the way.
Robinson joins Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Fisher and 23-year-old Baker in the pace-bowling group. Jofra Archer is at the Indian Premier League and will not be ready until the second of the three Tests, while Brydon Carse is recovering from a broken wrist.
Tongue was impressive during the Ashes, while Atkinson is named despite suffering a concussion inflicted by Tongue during Surrey's County Championship match at Nottinghamshire at the weekend.
Surrey's Fisher, 28, was called into the Ashes squad and could add to the one Test cap he won against West Indies in 2022.
Baker is highly talented but endured difficult international debuts in white-ball cricket last year. He is included after a strong start to the season with Hampshire.
Crawley's absence was inevitable. No opener in Test history has been given as many opportunities at the top of the order as Crawley's 104 innings while averaging less than his 30.52.
Gay would appear to be in pole position to open alongside Ben Duckett at Lord's after impressing with three centuries for Durham at the beginning of the season.
If he does, Gay will become a dual international after previously playing three T20s for Italy. He has also turned down an approach from West Indies.
Despite his young age, Rew already has 12 first-class hundreds. Usually at home in the middle order, England have asked him to open for Somerset. When he did so for the first time against Glamorgan in the previous round of the Championship, he was out for four and nought.
It therefore seems likely Rew will have to wait his turn behind the established middle order of Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, captain Stokes and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
England held a review after the Ashes was blighted by poor performances on the field and problems off it. Director of cricket Rob Key, coach McCullum and captain Stokes all kept their jobs.
The squad will assemble for a training camp at Loughborough on 22 May, a week ahead of the first Test.
